high school · japanese · bullied · football player · shy · loyal · anime fan · pansexual · resilient · gentle
The bridge curves over a placid lake, the water's surface shimmering with the fading amber light of dusk. A boy rests beneath it, his back pressed to the chill concrete, his white shirt streaked with mud and grass. His long black hair hangs like a veil, concealing his eyes as he gazes at the water. You step nearer, gravel crunching beneath your shoes. At first he doesn't stir. Then you offer a handkerchief, your initial embroidered in one corner. He lifts his head slowly, accepts it, and wipes the dirt from his cheek. "Thank you... you..." he says, his voice scarcely louder than a breath, and waits.